I have a dog that doesn't like to be touched by strangers. Will do "ok" with them loose as long as no one reaches for him. That behavior started at around 7-8 weeks of age, and he had Plenty of socialization and positive experiences. Being as most of the pups in his litter have some degree of stranger "shyness" for lack of a better term, I think his behavior is mostly based on his genetics.

Soooooo what we have done is use targeting.
He has no problems going up to people but just doesn't like to be reached for, so anytime he goes up to a stranger to sniff, touch them with his nose (whatever he likes to do really) I mark the behavior (I say YES! but you can click, whatever your marker is), and he immediately comes to me for a Really yummy treat (something he LOVES). While working this he Only gets a treat for touching a person. I gradually saw him opening going up to people, touching them and coming immediately for a treat without that immediate praise.
Very important I used people to basically be statues. I mean they can walk around but no looking at him, no talking to him, no praising, just BE.....
After a while you can specifically teach him to target a raised hand, anything you want.
It becomes a game.

How would your dog know that they don't take care of their dogs? Perhaps your dog is picking up on your thoughts and feelings towards these people? Dogs can be incredibly sensitive to us and read our emotions and energy in very subtle ways.

Years ago I met a lady at a park where we used to walk our dogs. She was saying that for some reason, her dog does not like: pit bulls, men, homeless people. Liked everyone else, all other dogs. Odd.

Then as we got to know each other as we chatted during our walks, turns out that SHE didn't like pit bulls, didn't trust men, and was afraid of homeless people, because they must all have something wrong with them. AHA!!! Her dog was just being very perceptive and sensitive to HER energy, and was reacting in kind. I bet the same dog with someone else would have been just fine.

I have a couple theories.... One is that my boy (2 y/o) is very territorial and anyone coming onto our property gets a pretty rude welcoming until I tell him it's ok and he calms down. On leash he is ok with people. Other theory is that just like people dogs can meet someone they just get bad vibes from and just plain don't like them.

How would your dog know that they don't take care of their dogs? Perhaps your dog is picking up on your thoughts and feelings towards these people? Dogs can be incredibly sensitive to us and read our emotions and energy in very subtle ways.

Years ago I met a lady at a park where we used to walk our dogs. She was saying that for some reason, her dog does not like: pit bulls, men, homeless people. Liked everyone else, all other dogs. Odd.

Then as we got to know each other as we chatted during our walks, turns out that SHE didn't like pit bulls, didn't trust men, and was afraid of homeless people, because they must all have something wrong with them. AHA!!! Her dog was just being very perceptive and sensitive to HER energy, and was reacting in kind. I bet the same dog with someone else would have been just fine.

Just saw this and can't agree more, how you feel about that person can have a huge impact on how your dog sees that person. Eko acts just like me, I am a pretty nervous person and he is definitely what I would call a nervous dog. I have to remind myself to relax sometimes when he is acting out and it really does help me get him under control.

My young dogs are useless at telling real 'bad' people from good. They are as likely to be upset by somewhere wearing a strange hat or hairdo as anything else.

I do NOT use my pup's judgement (or lack of) at all until they are a few years old and have been out and about meeting hundreds (thousands?) of people with me. That way they really DO have the ability to tell pecular or 'off' from normal and I've helped them to get there. That said, they should more be reading from ME that there may be a problem then them randomly reacting on their own...

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